European Union proposes social media ban for under-13s

The news: The European Commission will put forward a law to restrict social media access for children under the age of 13, taking a cue from Australia’s reforms.

The context: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the proposal on Monday evening, after receiving a report from a special panel on child safety online. “This is not about ​whether children can access ​social ⁠media. It is about whether and when ⁠social ​media can ​access our children,” she said. Access for older children would be limited based on how safe social media companies make their platforms. It comes after the bloc accused Meta Platforms and ByteDance of designing addictive products, pressuring them to make changes or risk hefty fines. Several European countries are already considering age restrictions at a national-level but the Commission could establish a single rule for the entire bloc, if supported by the EU Parliament and member states.

What they said: “We do not expect children to design their own seatbelts. We do not expect parents to fit airbags at home. And the very same must be true for big tech,” von der Leyen said in a statement.